Readings (11)

Online Social Networks, Continued

First, a disclaimer: I have some difficulty with some of these articles (the Stephen Abram article in particular-- despite its Star Trek references) because of its focus on what “the kids” are doing nowadays and how “cool” these initiatives are. I feel very unprofessional in this context because I'm very much on the side of the kids-- down with “the youtube” and all.

I think this lack of connection informs my attitude about libraries becoming involved in online social networks like MySpace or Facebook. I'm no longer the spring chicken I suspect these initiatives are being marketed toward (as discussed by Robert J. Lackie in his article, but I don't think my younger self would have appreciated “the man” (uh, not that I ever used the term “the man” when I was younger), invading a space I had to connect with my friends away from the prying eyes of authority.

The other side of this (and maybe one of the key differences between MySpace and Facebook?) is that when I've heard libraries mentioned in conjunction with Facebook, it's in terms of professional networking-- joining groups according to your interests for the purposes of forming connections with like-minded professionals in your field. (Also-- why you shouldn't post those drunken conference pics.) This strikes me as a better way for a library to connect with patrons (“join our graphic novel group!”) than trying to “friend” individuals.

I really liked Meredith Farkas’ point about social software illuminating problems that existed before their advent and that ultimately, “we have no right to ban a Web site based on the subjective value judgments we place on it.” I think this is really important.